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THE nationwide strawberry sabotage crisis has deepened after an Adelaide Hills resident found a needle in a punnet of strawberries on Sunday.

A punnet of Mal’s Black Label strawberries was bought from Kloses’s Foodland at Littlehampton on Saturday.

The fruit was consumed on Sunday morning and a needle was discovered but did not cause any injuries.

South Australian police are investigating how the fruit was contaminated.

The punnet was immediately returned to the store, prompting employees to pull the remaining stock from the shelves, and authorities were called in.

Another three Foodland stores, managed by the same owners, immediately removed the product, a Kloses spokesman told The Advertiser.

Camera IconA needle has been found inside a punnet of Mal's Black Label strawberries sold at a Klose’s Foodland supermarket in Littlehampton.Picture: SuppliedCamera IconA need found inside a strawberry bought in Gladstone.Picture: Supplied

The spokesman said he could not be sure whether the brand was popular in the store.

Police are investigating and urged anyone who purchased Mal’s Black Label strawberries from Foodland at Littlehampton to check the fruit before consumption.

The discovery comes days after a Mid-North man told The Advertiser he found two needles in a punnet of Queensland strawberries sold at a supermarket in Jamestown this week.

He claims he then found a safety pin in another punnet given to him as a replacement by the store.

However, doubt had surrounded his claims as both SA Health and SA Police — who were called to the supermarket to deal with a resulting altercation — because up until Sunday, there had been no reports of needles found in strawberries in this state.

There are also unconfirmed reports that contaminated strawberries were found in Tasmania.

Mal’s Black Label strawberries is a small grower based in Gingin, north of Perth.

The company is believed to export its produce to the east coast through a third-party seller.

Danny Holdsworth, marketing manager for the WA grower, said the report of the needles being found were “devastating” for the company.

“I would say it’s a copycat thing,” he said.

“It’s not that hard to go into a store and put a needle in a punnet of strawberries.”

WA’s Department of Health is in contact with the company.

The Queensland Opposition Leader called for strawberry growers to be provided assistance as police investigations continued into the contamination.

Deb Frecklington said the Queensland strawberry industry had been crippled by the contamination scare.

The Queensland State Government has already announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the strawberry contamination. Most of the estimated 80 strawberry farms in Queensland are in the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg and Moreton Bay regions.

Some retailers have slashed the price of strawberries to as little as 25c a punnet to shift them from their shelves.

Sabotaged punnets have been reported as far north as Townsville and as far south as Victoria. But health authorities are reluctant to detail numbers and locations of spiked strawberries, fearing this may encourage copycats.

SA Health advises consumers with concerns about other brands of strawberries to cut them before consumption.

Tainted fruit should be immediately reported to police on 131 444.

Anyone with information on people responsible for contaminating fruit should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.